Federal - French Colonial

To create this 12,000 s.f. compound in Houston, Texas, Tate drew upon his intuitive grasp of Creole architecture. Designing several wings and outbuildings, he employed styles and materials that reflect varied moments in the evolution of Creole design. A children’s house shaped like a pigeonnaire and a freestanding study with a steep hipped roof evoke French West Indian plantations, while the encircling wall, Spanish arcades, and limed brick wing suggest the Spanish influence. With Creole details, including several French doors opening from the porch into first-floor rooms, combined with the Federal-style central entrance and Greek Revival interior moldings, the main house reveals 19th-century Creoles interest in American styles. Suggestive of a single family’s changing tastes, the house is imbued with an aura of history and romance.